[exlrrp]

Thanks for responding, guys
I came down here wondering what my son sees in the place and am starting to see it. There´s real opportunity down here in SA. Its been 35 years since I was here last and its changed a lot. You hardly see any of the grinding poverty that used to be everywhere. Even most of the meanest shacks have electricity and antennas on them. M0st of the people are at least up in the bottom of the middle class. Cell phones are as common as in America
My son Dan first came down here in 2000 as an exchange student. The family he stayed with virtually adopted him, now he´s like their own son, helped him get started here. Personally, the two handiest things I ever learned in school were Spanish and trigonometry.
Although our economy is not doing well, the dollar is actually rising against some foreign currencies. The Chilean peso last year was about 500 to one dollar---now its about 640, which makes the dollar worth about 20% more.
There´s also less American tourists traveling and less tourists in general, which means some great discounts---the hotel we´re staying in here in Pt Montt, if in San Francisco, would be easily about $350--400----here its about $110 for a double.
Another thing: Chileans are generally real friendly people. Theyve forgiven Americans for foisting Pinochet and decades of dictatorship on them, which I consider downright sporting of them. there was a reason for the Shining Path, which was, by the way, in Bolivia and Peru---they didn´t have a chance against Pinochet. There´s still a Communist party here, tho small.
No, thats all in the past, same as Vietnam. people just want to get along now, the primary motive worldwide is to make a buck.
The internet sure has changed travel considerably, in making reservations, checking flights, even finding retaurants. Its everywhere, now and its a great equalizer---puts us all on the same playing field, communication wise
Where we are now was colonized by Germans in the 1800s and you can still see traces of this culture, like building styles, along with the native MApuche tribe
Stay bueno, all
James